Page 5 - Pakistan Link -June 7, 2024

OPINION PAKISTAN LINK - JUNE 7, 2024 - P5
fter a six-week trial, it took jurors less Guilty!
n By Nayyer Ali MD

than 10 hours of deliberation to come
Aback with guilty verdicts on all 34
felony counts of fraudulent business records money and would get into legal trouble if it did.
against former President Don- Trump could have paid Daniels directly with a
ald Trump. This was a thunder- personal check, which would have been tawdry
clap of a decision, which may tilt but not illegal, but Trump did not want to do that.
the electorate enough to ensure He wanted to keep his fingerprints off this trans-
that Trump does not regain the action, so he had Michael Cohen set up a shell
White House in November. company that took a 130,000 dollar loan against
Trump engaged in a fraudu- Cohen’s home to fund the payoff. Cohen and
lent scheme to pay money to an adult film actress, Trump’s accountant Allen Weiselberg then came
Stormy Daniels, to keep her quiet in the few weeks up with a way to pay Cohen back from the Trump
left before the 2016 election. According to her, Organization by claiming it was payments for le-
she had intimate relations with Donald Trump in gal services. The amount paid back had to be over
2006 while his wife was at home with their new- double what Cohen had paid to account for the
born son. If this charge became public, it would taxes Cohen would incur. In the end Trump paid
almost certainly sink Trump’s campaign against Cohen 420,000 dollars over 12 payments, declar-
Hilary Clinton, especially given the blowback ing these payments to be for legal services. Photo The Boston Globe
from the release of the Access Hollywood tape in Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan District Attor-
early October 2016, where Trump was recorded ney who brought the case, charged Trump with on hold until the appeal is resolved, which will that he is going to have a very hard time avoiding
bragging about sexually assaulting women. 34 counts of falsifying business records. These take over a year. this loss of support. While 35-40% of the country
The critical witness for the prosecution in this charges would be misdemeanors, and normally Instant political polls show that the major- are in his MAGA cult and would vote for him no
trial was not Trump’s lawyer and fixer Michael would not merit such aggressive legal action. But ity of the American people agree with the verdict, matter what he does, there are still 10-15% of the
Cohen, but rather the owner of the tabloid Na- Bragg bumped the charges up to felonies because for example one poll showed 50% agree and only country that are swing voters and could go either
tional Enquirer David Pecker. Pecker explained the falsification was done to further an additional 30% disagree. Other polls show 10% of Republi- way. His criminal conviction is going to make it
how he and Trump had concocted a scheme to serious crime, in this case to affect the outcome cans and 60% of independent voters state they are very hard to hold on to a large share of those vot-
promote Trump, to publish false stories attacking of the 2016 election. In the end, the jury was less likely to vote for Trump given this conviction. ers. Even in the meaningless Republican primary
his rivals (for example, that Ted Cruz’s father was convinced of these charges, and Trump is now a The election so far has been very close contests that have been held after Nikki Haley
somehow involved in the Kennedy assassination convicted felon. with Trump and Biden running neck and neck. dropped out, Trump has seen 20% of Republicans

in 1963), and to “catch and kill” possible negative Trump will be sentenced in July. While Dem- Trump has repeatedly shown that he has a ceil- still voting for Haley, indicating they are not big

stories about Trump that Pecker caught wind of. ocrats would love to see him go to jail, it is unclear ing of support, only 46% of voters backed him supporters of Trump.
This was all highly illegal. what penalty the judge might impose. Business in 2016, and 47% in 2020. He lost the popular The voters that are up for grabs are the least
In this context, it came to be known that record fraud alone would normally result in pro- vote both times but won in 2016 because of nar- politically engaged. Those voters who follow
Stormy Daniels was prepared to take her story bation but not jail. However Trump did the fraud row victories in the swing states of Pennsylvania, politics closely have mostly made up their minds.
to the press unless she was paid a large sum of in order to steal a Presidential election, and he has Michigan, and Wisconsin. For Trump to win But the Biden campaign needs to aggressively
money. Quick negotiations concluded in a non- shown contempt for the court and no remorse for again in 2024 he will need to replicate his 2016 reach these less engaged swing voters in the final
disclosure agreement that ensured her silence in his actions throughout this process. These fac- performance. But this means he has no margin 2-3 months of the campaign, and hammer home
exchange for 130,000 dollars. This is where things tors might lead the judge to impose some prison for error. If he were to lose just 2-3% of his vote, Trump’s unfitness for the job. They already have
became tricky. Pecker explained that his lawyers time. Trump will however be able to appeal his and only win 43-44% of the popular vote, he will much to work with, including Trump’s earlier
told him the National Enquirer could not pay this conviction, and will likely get any prison time put lose handily. The meaning of this conviction is (Continued on page 23)

Muslim minority, a third term Fears for India’s Muslims as Modi’s Hindu divorce and inheritance vary based on
or India’s 200-million-plus
the customary traditions of different
Ffor the Hindu-nationalist rul- Nationalists Win Third Term communities and faiths.
ing party brings renewed fears for Sayeed Alam, 32, a construction
their future in the constitutionally worker in Gaya in eastern Bihar state,
secular country. feared that “Muslims will be treated as
Many Indian Muslims worry Prime ‘Divisive agenda’ second-class citizens”. “We are already
Minister Narendra Modi’s right-wing Modi was accused during cam- facing a lot of problems,” Alam said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will rel- paigning of ramping up rhetoric tar- “Who knows what will happen
egate them to “second-class citizens” in geting India’s key religious divide in a next?”
a Hindu nation. bid to rally the Hindu majority to vote. While Modi had hoped to win more
“During the last 10 years, Muslims At his rallies, he referred to Muslims seats to push through policies without
were publicly targeted, abused, and as “infiltrators” and claimed the main relying on coalition allies, the BJP still
humiliated,” said housewife Shabnam opposition Congress party would re- wields enormous power.
Haque, 43, in Jharkhand’s state capital distribute the nation’s wealth to Mus- “What the community really fears
Ranchi. lims if it won. is whether the new government will
“Hate against the community is in-
creasing day by day and Muslims are
being dehumanized. We fear this trend
will increase.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures, at the Bharatiya Janata Party
But while Modi celebrated victory, (BJP) headquarters in New Delhi, India, June 4 — Reuters
the opposition was stronger than pun-
dits had predicted, and the BJP is de- But Rahman Saifi, 27, a social ac- ner and promote hatred in society,”
pendent on allies without an overall tivist from Uttar Pradesh, said the shopkeeper Anwar Siddiqui said in the
majority of its own for the first time in BJP still had a fresh mandate to drive northern state of Uttarakhand — a BJP
a decade. forward its right-wing policies for its heartland.
faithful Hindu followers. Far to the south, Muhammad
‘Very scared’ “Even with a reduced majority, they Samshuddeen, 25, a shopkeeper in the
For some, the reduction of BJP seats may continue to push their agenda of tech hub of Bengaluru said that “India
offered a glimmer of hope. establishing a Hindu Rashtra (country) is a secular country for all religions,”
“Diverse political representation is in India,” Saifi said. adding, “We are here to live peacefully People react during a clash with police at a protest that turned violent in Mum-
crucial for a healthy democracy, and a “It’s concerning.” too.” In Indian-occupied Kashmir, the bai — Reuters
strong opposition is vital,” said Salman Hindu activists will likely be em- Modi government’s 2019 decision to
Ahmad Siddiqui. boldened to call for more religious sites bring the region under New Delhi’s di- “The BJP contested this election on adopt a more hardline approach to-
The 42-year-old banker comes from to be taken from Muslims. rect rule — and the subsequent clamp- a communal and divisive agenda,” said wards Muslims,” said Soroor Ahmad,
Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh — India’s Those demands have grown louder down — has been deeply resented. Anwar Siddiqui, the shopkeeper. The 63, a newspaper columnist based in
most populous state and the heartland since Modi inaugurated a grand temple The BJP’s third term will mean BJP has promised to introduce in its Bihar’s capital Patna.
of the Hindu faith — where the BJP lost to the deity Ram in January, built on “further hardship”, 53-year-old Riyaz third term a new common civil code But for 27-year-old Mohammad Re-
its majority. the grounds of a centuries-old mosque Ahmed from Srinagar said. for the country, which minorities fear han in Delhi, the BJP’s dented parlia-
“The election results are unsur- in Ayodhya razed by Hindu zealots in “We have been suffocated,” he said. could encroach on their religious laws. mentary strength represented hope for
prising, reflecting a growing sense of 1992. “Muslims are very scared that “If anyone tries to speak the truth India’s 1.4 billion people are subject change in the future.
unease among young people and the […] they will implement anti-Muslim you are uncertain you will remain free.” to a common criminal law, but rules “The BJP cannot stay in power for-
middle class,” Siddiqui added. laws and policies in a dictatorial man- on personal matters such as marriage, ever,” he said. - AFP
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